Ai Wei Wei

Henry Hudson Brilliantly Depicts The Contemporary Artist at Sotheby’s S|2

| artattackapp

After too many sunny days to count, it seems the rain has returned to London, so this morning I regretfully swapped a summer dress for leggings and flannel and trudged forward, once more, unto the gloom. Thankfully, the rest of my day was not to be so dreary as I finally made my way to S|2, Sotheby’s intimate St. George Street gallery, for their current exhibition, ‘Henry Hudson: The Rise and Fall of Young Sen.’

Having not done my proper research prior, I didn’t initially realise that this was a narrative series, so the first work I cast eyes on was in fact the second of the story. I stared in awe, whilst simultaneously gaping in horror at the sight before my eyes — heavily textured guts and curling intestines spilling out of a female body being dissected at King’s Cross medical school. The graphic nature of the piece is really astounding, and the detail Hudson achieves with the plasticine medium is ultra impressive.

I soon found my way back to the beginning of the series, and painting by painting, accompanied our protagonist, Young Sen, on his life’s journey, from his humble beginnings in a Chinese factory town, to fulfilling his parents’ dream of attending medical school in London, his decision to follow his own dream instead and become an artist, a love affair, a marriage, his first NYC gallery opening, drugs, parties, rehab and finally back to China to make a political difference through his art.

Continue reading →

‘Ai Wei Wei: Never Sorry’ Is A Necessary Reminder Of The Power Of Art

| artattackapp

I realise I might be making a vital mistake by writing this as it forces me to admit that I only just watched Never Sorry, a documentary on contemporary Chinese artist and activist, Ai Wei Wei, directed by Alison Klayman and made way back in 2012. However, the first week of 2015 is certainly no time to ponder excuses, so I’ll just say thank you, Netflix and better late than never.

The truth is, I’m glad I was late to the party on this one, because a good dose of a fearless artist determined to change the world no matter the cost, is probably the best possible way to start my new year. Continue reading →